Every year, around this time, we read or watch a number of reports
that talk about the customs, quality and trends regarding the grape
harvest. Sometimes the terms used can be a bit obscure, so here are
a few definitions to help you decipher what actually goes on during
this key moment in wine making.

The harvest banns or "ban des vendanges"

Traditionally, this was the document that gave permission to
start the harvest, and also to get the harvest celebrations under
way. Today, some regions in France still fix the earliest
possible date to start the harvest. From the set date, the
winemakers can begin to harvest the grapes, but they are also
free to start harvesting later if they feel that their grapes
would benefit from maturing more before being picked. In other
regions, the winemakers themselves have complete autonomy over
when to harvest their grapes.

Harvest period

So it's no longer just the official decree that marks the start
of the harvest, but it's also the choice of the winemaker. For
each grape varietal and vineyard plot, the right equilibrium has
to be found between the grapes being sufficiently mature and
waiting too long if there are any climatic risks such as rain,
storms, or drought. The winemaker has to be able to deal with the
stress of uncertainty!

The state of the grapes

The winemakers decisions are therefore based on the state of the
grapes in each individual vine plot. As the grapes mature, the
sugar level rises and the acidity decreases. If the winemaker
waits too long, the sugar level will be too high and the grapes
will be overripe. The water in the berries will start to
evaporate and the grapes will start to dry out. For some types of
wine, such as vendanges tardives, this is the stage that the
winemaker will wait for before picking the grapes.

Late harvest or "vendanges tardives"

Outside of the usual harvest period, some grape varietals and
wine appellations have been granted specific authorisation to
enable a late harvest. In these cases, we're looking for a high
concentration of sugar and so choose to harvest later. The
mention of "vendanges tardives" on a label is regulated,
and in France it is allowed in Alsace, and in the Gaillac and
Jurançon appellations, each having their own specific charters.

Green harvest

So you can harvest later, but you can also pick your grapes
earlier with a green harvest. But note that a green harvest is
never intended to pick grapes for making wine. It's simply to
remove excess grapes from the vines during the ripening or
véraison" period. By decreasing the yield, the winemaker can
increase the quality of the remaining grapes.

Harvesting machine

Once the grapes have ripened, it's time to pick them. To do so
the winemaker can use a harvesting machine or lots of pairs of
secateurs! The harvesting machine has the advantage of being
quick and of being able to be used more flexibly in terms of
time. The proponents of manual harvesting argue that the quality
of the harvest is better by hand, as a first sort can be done of
the grapes before they are transported to the chai.

Sorting table

Talking of sorting the grapes, this can be done at two stages, at
the moment the grapes are picked, or on a sorting table at the
chai, where the unwanted grapes and foliage are removed, and
often the stems are removed at the same time for red wine grapes.
The winemaker chooses one or the other method, or sometimes both
for the very best quality harvest. For some appellations, you
have to sort when picking the grapes, or to harvest in phases by
making multiple passes, as is the case for some of the sweet
wines.

Destemming

Once the grapes have been sorted, the winemaker might decide to
separate the berries from the stems, particularly for red wines,
before the grapes are pressed or left to macerate in the
fermentation tanks. Removing the stalk avoids too much contact
with the grape must that can give a bitter vegetal taste. If the
stalk is mature enough, the winemaker might decide to leave some
of the stalk to add some tannin to the wine, and make a wine that
will keep longer.

Wine press

To make white wine or some rosé wines, the grapes are pressed.
Pressing can be done in a number of different types of wine
press; vertically, horizontally, pneumatic or hydraulic. Each has
their own advantages, but the pneumatic presses are most often
used nowadays because you can regulate the pressure applied to
the grapes to obtain a better quality juice. For the red wines,
there is no pressing done before the fermentation, but afterwards
to separate the solid marc of stems, skin and pips from the wine.

Crushing the grapes

For many wines, the grapes aren't crushed before being pressed or
macerated. They are either left to break down naturally, or can
be crushed mechanically or by foot. The days of crushing grapes
by foot are very rare now as it takes a lot of time and energy!
So these are some of the principal steps that will keep the
winemaker busy up to and during the harvest. But it doesn't stop
there! Once the grapes and juice are safely in the vats, the
vinification process starts. We then hear talk of fermentation,
racking, chaptilisation, yeast, sulphites... but we'll talk more
about that after the harvest!